Upper Marlboro player nearly missed a $30K top prize hiding in plain sight
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — An Upper Marlboro grandmother who believed she had won just $30 on a Maryland Lottery ticket got the surprise of a lifetime when a closer look revealed a $30,000 top prize.
The Prince George’s County resident, a grandmother of 10 and retired school system employee, claimed the prize June 3 at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore.
The lucky winner purchased the ticket during a visit to a 7-Eleven on Watkins Park Drive in Upper Marlboro.
According to Maryland Lottery officials, she originally planned to buy a $10 scratch-off ticket. When none were available, she opted to purchase three $3 tickets instead.
The first two tickets were not winners, but when she scanned the third using the Maryland Lottery app, she initially thought she had won $30.
Then something caught her attention.
“That has too many zeros,” she recalled thinking.
Still uncertain, she asked a store clerk to scan the ticket. The result confirmed she was holding a $30,000 top-prize winner.
The winner said she plans to use the money to pay off debts and purchase new bedroom furniture.
The 7-Eleven that sold the winning ticket will receive a $300 bonus from the Maryland Lottery.
Key Points
- An Upper Marlboro grandmother claimed a $30,000 top-prize lottery win.
- She initially believed the ticket was worth only $30 until noticing an extra zero.
- The winner plans to use the money to pay off debts and buy new furniture.